Rotary web-press.



G. N. SMITH. v ROTARY WEB PRESS. APPLIOATION FILED 001'. 16,1900.

Patented Noi-1, 1910.

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' C. N. SMITH. ROTARY WEB PRESS. APPLIUATION FILED-00T. 16, 1908.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

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CHRISTIAN N. SMITH, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,OF TWO-THIRDS 'I'O CHARLES A. ARIVIBRUSTER AND JOHN A. HABEN.

ROTARY WEB-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

To all /whom Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN N. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Web-Presses, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a printing press for printing a series ofdifferent impressions, as in multi-color printing, on a continuouslymoving web of paper or card-board, and has for its object to provide asimple and compact multi-color print-ing press which will secure anaccurate register of the different impressions and which can be easilyadjusted so as to print upon paper or card-board of differentthicknesses and textures.

In accordance with my invention, I construct a printing press having asingle impression cylinder and, instead of the ordinary tympan ormake-ready, employ a traveling belt of some relatively soft, elasticmaterial. Around the impression cylinder I group the several printingcylinders. This arrangement makes my press much more simple, compact andeasily operated than the multi-color presses now in use. The use of theendless belt, instead of the ordinary tympan or blanket, makes thisarrangement possible, the belt having nojoint which, with the commonlyused blanket, makes the impression cylinder useless at one place on itssurface. This arrangement has the further advantage that the printing ofdifferent sizes of sheets may be done by simply changing the printingcylinders.

A traveling endless belt has been employed for many years in theprinting of woven fabrics, such as calico. In this work exactness ofregister is not very important. So far as I am aware, there has neverbeen constructed and successfully put in operation a multi-colorprinting press for printing upon paper and card-board which has employeda traveling tympan. Multi-color rotary presses as used ordinarilyconsist of a number of printing couples, one for each color, throughwhich the paper is run successively. If a belt is used, without anymeans for holding -it upon the impression cylinder, the belt tends totravel laterally on the cylinder and so to work olf the end of thecylinder. I have found by experiment that, if the belt is used withimpression and printing cylinders having the 'ordinary bearers, or

rings, on the ends of the cylinders, that the belt works in between thebearers, with the result that it is torn and frayed and runs unevenly.If the belt goes far enough in between the bearers, it may, of course,stop the press or destroy some of its mechanism.

Itis one of the objects of my present invention to provide means on thecylinders for holding the belt in proper position and so that a perfectregister of the successive impressions is obtained.

The invention has for a further object to provide means by which thebelt, which is of elastic material, may be stretched more or less so asto make it relatively thick or thin, according to the kind of paper orcardboard which is to be run through the press, and so as to give it theproper degree of hardness or softness for the particular kind of workbeing done.

The press can be used for a number of diierent kinds of printing. It isparticularly useful in the manufacture of cartons, or the like, to beprinted in more than one color. W'ork of this sort has ordinarily, and Ibelieve always, been done upon flat bed presses, the printed sheetsbeing then removed to separate machines for t-he cutting and creasing orscoring operations necessary to finish the blank. By providing mymachine with rotary cutting and folding mechanisms which receive theprinted web just as it comes from the printing cylinders, I have amachine which, by one continuous automatic operation on a singlemachine, turns out a complete carton blank, or the like, creased, cutand printed in two or more colors, work which has always requiredseveral different machines and several handlings of the paper. It is oneof the principal objects of my invention to provide a machine foraccomplishing this result.

The invention has for further objects such other new and improvedconstructions, devices and arrangements in printing presses as will bedescribed in the specification and particularly set forth in the claimsappended thereto.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a diagrammatic, sectionalelevation. Fig. 2 is a side view of the impression cylinder and one ofthe printing cylinders with the tympan belt in section.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and G are detail views of the several cutting and creasingcylinders. Fig. 7 is a detail in elevation of a pair of creasingcylinders for creasing the web longitudinally. Fig. 8 is a sectionalview illustrating the operation of a pair of creasing cylinders forcreasing the web transversely. Fig. 9 is a section through the beltstretching device; and Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a web of paper as itis cut and creased in the making of carton blanks.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figuresof the drawings.

Referring first to Fig. 1, A represents the impression cylinder and B, Cand D three printing cylinders. These cylinders will be provided withany appropriate and well knownmeans for driving them and the printingcylinders will each have their inking devices, these parts forming, inthemselves, no part of my present invention and not having beenillustrated. E represents the traveling tympan, which consistspreferably of an endless, rubber belt 11 reinforced by a backing 12 ofcanvas or the like.` The belt extends over an idler 13. F, F, G, G, H, Hand I, I represent pairs of rotary cutting and creasing devices, whichare arranged to receive the continuous web as it comes from the printingapparatus, the arrangement being preferably such that the web is carriedalong upon the belt and delivered to these cutting and creasing devices.

The construction of the cylinders by means of which the traveling tympankept in place, is illustrated particularly in Fig. 2. The impressioncylinder A is provided on its ends with the bearers 14, between whichthe belt E runs. The printing cylinder B, which is the one shown in thisview, is also provided with bearers 14, so that they overlap and pressupon the flat ,surface of the belt at each side. Cylinders C and D arepreferably alsoprovided with bearers of this character. By thisarrangement the belt E is held in proper position on the impressioncylinder, thus insuring a perfect register of the successive impressionsplaced upon the web. j

The device for stretching the tympan is shown particularly in Figs. 1and 9. It consists of a roller J having journals 16 mounted in boxes 17,which are slidable on the frame of the machine. Each box is providedwith an adjusting screw 18. The roller J is located preferablyapproximately midway between the impression cylinder and the idler 13. Aslight adjustmentof the roller will decrease the thickness of the beltand, at the same time, harden its surface. In this way the machine canbe accommodated for printing upon thin paper or a relatively thickVcard-board without any change in the position of the cylinders. Thisadjusting means is within easy reach of the person operating the press,so that the adjustment may be made while the machine is in operation, inorder to get the right depth of impression. If the belt wears or becomesstretched on one sidegmore than the other, one of the screws 18 may bescrewed up more than the other.

The cutting and creasing devices, as they are illustrated in Figs. 3 to8 inclusive, can be best understood in their operation Lin connectionwith thel diagram (Fig. 10) showing a section of web cut and creased soas to form finished carton blanks. This particula'r form of blank has,of course, been chosen merely for purposes of illustration. By changingthe dies on the cutters and creasers, a blank of a different form mightbe turned out. The creasing devices might be omitted, if desired.

In Fig. 10 a complete carton blank a and parts of a preceding blank band a succeeding blank c are shown, the web traveling in the directionof the arrow. The blank a is outlined by the lines 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,24, 25 and 26. The pieces of the web e, f, g and h, z', j, 7c, and Z arecut out, as will be described. rIhe cuts 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and34 form together the locks of the cartons. The web is carried along fromthe printing cylinders on belt 12, until it reaches rollers F, F, F-being an ordinary, smooth roller of soft steel and F being the rollershown in F ig. 3. The latter is provided with the knives 35 and 36, theformer, supposing the cylinder to be rotating in the direction of thearrow, making cut 30, the latter cut 29 and afterward, in the same way,cuts 28 and 27. Roller F is also provided with the arcuate knives 37, 38which make the cuts 39, 40 and 41, 42. Similar knives 43, 44 make thecuts 45, 46, and 47, 48, and knives 49, 50 make the cuts 34, 33, 32, 31in that order. The blank in this shape passes on to rollers G, G, theroller G being provided with two pairs of ribs 51, 52 and 53, 54, andthe roller Gr with corresponding grooves, the rollers interacting, asshown in Fig. 7, in which a part of roller G having a groove 55 isshown. the longitudinal creases 56, 57, 58 and 59. The web proceeds torollers H, H, roller H being provided with the longitudinal creasingribs G0, 61 and H 'with corresponding grooves, one of these being shownat 62 (Fig. 8). These creasers make the creases or scores 63, 64.Rollers I, I make the cuts 25, 23 and 21, 19, rollerI being providedwith the long knife 65 and the short knives 66, 67. The blanks are thusturned out 'of the machine in finished condition, printed in threedifferent colors, cut and creased and ready to be folded, the parts L,g, f, and e dropping out,- leaving the lap m which can be glued to theside a when the box is folded on the creases, the pieces Z, lo, j, z'also falling These creasing ldevices make Y out. The slit ends 0, p, g,r, s, t, u and lv of the blank form the ends of the Carton and arefolded over on the creases 63, 64: in the familiar manner. The cut end29 hooks into the slit 33 to form the lock.

I claim:

1. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, aprinting cylinder, a traveling tympan in the form of a belt, retainingmeans on the impression cylinder for engaging the edge of the belt, andmeans on the printing cylinder distinct from and on each side of theprinting portion of said cylinder for engaging the flat surface thereof.

Q.. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, aprinting cylinder, a traveling tympan in the form of a belt, and bearers`on the impression cylinder and the printing cylinder, the bearers onthe printing cylinder being Wider than those on the impression cylinder,so as to overlap the belt.

3. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder havingits central art recessed, a tympan for the same in the orm of a belt, aplurality of printing cylinders arranged around the impression cylinderso as to be in contact With the belt, and rings on the several printingcylinders which overlap and bear upon the edges of the belt.

4. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, aprinting cylinder, an endless tympan belt around the impressioncylinder, and bearers on said cylinders, the bearers on the printingcylinder overlapping the belt.-

5. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, aprinting cylinder', an endless tympan belt around the impressioncylinder, and cooperating means on the impression cylinder' and theprinting cylinder other than the impression and printing surfacesthereof for retaining the belt in proper position on the impressioncylinder.

6. In a printing press for printing upon a continuously moving paperWeb, the combination with an impression cylinder, of a plurality ofprinting cylinders arranged around one side of the impression cylinder,an endless traveling tympan belt on the impression cylinder, a rollerWhich carries said belt arranged on the opposite side of the impressioncylinder from the printing cylinders and cutting and creasing devices,arranged in line with said impression cylinder and said roller so as toreceive the paper Web as it leaves said tympan belt, and a tensionroller on the under side of said belt between tlie impression cylinderand said first named roller, said tension roller being adjutable againstthe outer surface of said be t.

7 In a printing press for printing upon a continuously traveling4 vvebof paper, the combination with an impression cylinder, of a plurality ofprint-ing cylinders arranged around the impression cylinder, a travelingtympan belt of elastic material on the impression cylinder, co-actingmeans on the impression cylinder and the several printing cylinders forpreventing lateral displacement of t-he belt on the impression cylinder,nld means for varying the thickness of said S. In a printing press forprinting upon a continuously traveling Web of paper, the combinationWith an impression cylinder, of a plurality of printing cylindersarranged around the im ression cylinder, a traveling tympan belt ofelastic material on the impression cylinder, co-acting means on theimpression cylinder and the several printing cylinders for preventinglateral displacement of the belt on the impression cylinder, a rollerWhich carries said belt, a tension roller arranged against the outsideof the belt between said first named roller and the impression cylinder,and means for adjusting said tension roller.

9. A machine for printing multi-color upon a continuously traveling Web,and for creasing and severing said web, com rising an impressioncylinder, a plurality ofP printing cylinders arranged on one side of theimpression cylinder, a traveling tympan belt of elastic material on saidimpression cylinder, a roller which carries said belt on the other sideof the impression cylinder from the printing cylinders, a tension rollerarranged against the under side of said belt, means for adjusting saidtension roller, a plurality of cutting and creasing rollers arrangedsubstantially in line with the impression cylinder and said beltcarrying roller to receive the paper Web as it leaves said belt andcooperating means on the impression cylinder and the several printingcylinders which prevent the lateral displacement of the belt on theimpression cylinder.

CHRISTIAN N. SMITH.

Witnesses:

J. I-I. JONES, DoLPH PIHL.

